Parachute



G. DREYFUS Feb. 5. 1946.

PARACHU'I'E Filed Feb. 28, 1941 s sheets-sheet 1 INVENTOR GEORGES flfifY/Us M? We,

ATTORNEY (5. DREYFU 8 Feb. 5, 19 46.

PARACHUTE Filed Feb. 28, 1941 s Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR GEORGESflkEf/V/J ATTO R N EY Feb. 5, 146.

G. DREYFUS PARACHUTE Filed Feb. 28, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 5, 1946 UNITED "STATE 2,394,295 PARACHUTE Georges Dreyfus, Montauban, France; vested in the Alien Property "Gusto'dian Application February 28, 194i, Serial No. 381,154: In France September 15, 1939 .6 Claims.

The present invention relates to parachutes.

The object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of this type, which is better adapted to meet the requirements of practice, than the parachutes made up to the .present time, and especially to increase the comfort of the parachutist when he is coming down and, therefore, his safety.

The essential features of the invention consist in the provision of means for exerting on the parachutist, while the parachute is not still open, a stabilizing action which keeps said parachutist in a given position.

Another feature of -the invention concerns the parachutes including a bag with two compartments, containing respectively the parachute proper and the ropes through which the parachutist is suspended to said parachute. This feature consists in establishing, between these compartments, a communication through at least one orifice, for the passage of said ropes, said orifice being adapted to exert .on said ropes a breaking action when the parachute is opening.

Other features of the present invention will result from the following detailed description of specific embodiments thereof.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be hereinafter described, with reference to the accompanying drawings, given merely by Way of example and in which:

Fig. 1 is a front view of a parachutists equipment, made according to an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a rear View of the same equipment.

Fig. 3 is a view analogous to Fig. 2, showing the bag after the stabilizing parachute has been released therefrom.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic plan view of a. para chute bag (supposed to be opened) to be used in connection with the device of Figs. 1 to 3.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the same bag, made according to the invention.

Fig. 6 is a view analogous to Fig. 2, showing the parts of the opening of the main parachute.

The invention is applicable to parachutes of all kinds, adapted to be worn on the back or the chest, or otherwise.

The whole of the parachute system is made of any suitable construction, the parachute proper and the suspension ropes being contained in a bag (for instance including four flaps designated by reference numerals I, 2, 3 and: 4)., said bag being itself supported by an equipment or harness, the difierent elements of which are designated by reference numerals 5, '6 and 7.

According to the invention, I further provide means for exerting on the parachutist, before the opening of the parachute proper, a stabilizing action which tends to keep him in 'a given position. V 7

As a matter of fact, it becomes more and more usual to let the parachutist drop freely fora certain time after he has left the airplane, the parachute being opened only when the parachutist is nearing the ground. Now, in the course of its free drop, the body of the parachutist is wholly unstable and this may produce g'iddiness, so that the parachutist is unable to operate the parachute opening device when this becomes necessary. I v

The object of the invention is to obviate this serious drawback.

The stabilizing means above mentioned may be of many d'i'fierent kinds.

For instance, according to an advantageous arrangement, I make use of a small auxiliary parachute, adapted to open as soon as the para chutist leaves the airplane, either automatically, or through a manual action, this small para.- chute exerting for instance an action on the belt or the shoulders of the parachutist, so as to keep him in a vertical position or in any other position, provided that it is stable.

For instance, according to the embodiment illustrated by the drawings, I combine with the main bag 1, 2, 3, A, a small bag or auxiliary pocket 8, advantageously carried by one of the flaps I, this pocket being adapted to contain the auxiliary parachute, the surface of which has an area of one or twosquare meters, or even more.

Concerning bands, the means for producing the opening of the auxiliary parachute, and supposing fo-r instance that they are of the manual control type, they are advantageously constituted by a system including a cable adapted to slidev in a flexible tube 9 and operable through a hand grip Ill. This system causes for instance spindles or pins ll to move out from the corresponding lugs I 2, said pins and lugs constituting the closing means for the pocket 8.

The above described means thus enable the parachutist to open the stabilizing parachute (which is mounted in this pocket in a known manner), as he leaves the airplane.

When theparachutist wishes to open the main parachute, he has merely to act on the usual control, which, in' the drawings, is supposed to be' other hand the parachute proper 26.

constituted by a second hand grip [3, a cable in a flexible tube l4 and spindles l5 coacting with lugs l6.

Preferably, I further provide means for detaching the stabilizing or auxiliary parachute from the system, chiefly in order to avoid the risk of said auxiliary parachute becoming entangled with the main parachute; These last mentioned means are for instance combined with the means, designated by reference numerals I3, l4, l5 and I6, for controlling the opening of the main parachute.

On the drawings, I have shown an embodiment in which the suspension ropes of the auxiliary parachute (which are not visible on the drawings) are all secured to straps II, which are themselves connected to other straps l8 belonging to the parachute harness. The connection betweenstraps I1 and I8 is adapted to permit their immediate separation when so desired. For instance, straps I! are assembled withstraps l8 through spindles l9 engaged in holes provided in projections 20, carried by straps l1 and engaging in corresponding apertures provided in straps l8.

This arrangement is visible in Figure 3 of the drawings. In order to release and detach the auxiliary parachute, it suffices to operate the released device above described through wires 21, connected with wire i4, so that the fact of pulling handle l3 permits of simultaneously or successively detaching the stabilizing or auxiliary parachute and opening the main parachute.

. According to another feature of the invention, it may be advantageous to make use of the first parachute for producing the extraction of the second from its bag or at least for facilitating this extraction. For this purpose, I provide for instance a wire 22 for connecting the stabilizing parachute with the centre of.the main parachute.

In Fig. 6, I have diagrammatically shown the .bag in its open position. This corresponds to the main parachuate (not visible on the drawings) being unfolded, its supporting ropes 23 being divided into two groups, respectivelyconnected to elements 24 of the harness. In this figure, the stabilizing or auxiliary parachute (only portions l! of which are visible) being shown as detached from the main parachute system.

Finally, in Figs. 4 and 5,1 have shown a bag made according to another feature of the invention.

According to this arrangement, this bag is dior chambers, adapted respectively to contain, on the one hand supporting ropes 23, and on the The supporting ropes extend from one of said compartments to the other, through at least one orifice or aperture 21. As the parachute opens, the friction of the supporting ropes 23 as they are drawn through the restricted aperture 21' exerts a braking action on the ropes and even when the canopy among which the following may be cited as particularly interesting:

'The stability of the parachutist as he is dropping freely before opening the main parachute, is perfectly ensured;

Furthermore, the operation of the whole sys- .tem is particularly reliable.

' In a general manner, while I have, in the above description, disclosed what I deem to be preferred embodiments of the present invention, it should be well understood that I do not wish to be limited thereto, as there might be changes made in the arrangement, disposition and form of the parts.

.vided by a wall 25 into at least two compartments is fully extended, the final portion of the ropes 23 will continue to issue from the lower compartment through the aperture 21 thereby continuing the braking action and gradually taking up the shock on the parachutist.

Whatever be the particular embodiment which is chosen, I obtain a system, the operation or" of the same kind What I claim is:

1. A parachute system which comprises, in combination, a main parachute proper, fixation means holding the parachutist, suspension ropes connecting said fixation means to said parachute proper, a bag holding said parachute proper and said suspension ropes, 'a permanent partition dividing said bag into two compartments, one for said parachute and one for said suspension ropes, said partition being provided with a passage of sufiiciently restricted section to engage said ropes frictionally and exert a braking action thereon, said ropes extending through said passage, means operatively connected to said bag for opening the first compartment of said bag so as to allow said parachute to get out from said bag and to open, simultaneously, pulling said ropes through said restricted passage with a continuous braking action during the entire opening period of the parachute, and means operatively connected to said fixation means operable before the opening of the bag, adapted to act on said fixation means for stabilizing the parachutist, as he is dropping freely, and keepin him in a given position.

2. A parachute system which comprises, in combination, a main parachute proper, fixation means holding the parachutist, suspension ropes connecting said fixation means to said parachute proper, a bag holding said parachute proper and 'said suspension ropes, a permanent partition dividing said bag into two compartments, one for said parachute and one for said suspension ropes. said partition being provided with a passage of sufiiciently restricted section to engage said ropes frictionally and exert a braking action thereon, said ropes extending through said passage, means operatively connected to said bag for opening the first compartment of said bag so as to allow said parachute to get out from said bag and to open, simultaneously pulling said ropes through said restricted passage with a continuous braking action during the entire opening period of the parachute.

3. A parachute system which comprises, in combination, a main parachute proper, fixation means holding the parachutist, suspension ropes connecting said fixation means to said parachute proper, a bag holding said parachute proper and said suspension ropes, a permanent partition dividing said bag into two compartments, one for said parachute and one for said suspension ropes, said partition being provided with a passage of sufiiciently restricted section to engage said ropes frictionally and exert a braking action thereon, said ropes extending through said passage, means operatively connected to said bag for opening the first compartment of said bag so as to allow said parachute to get out from said bag and to open, simultaneously pulling said ropes through said passage of restricted section, to produce a continuous braking action during the entire opening period of the parachute, a manually operated auxiliary parachute operable before the opening of the container, means operatively connecting said auxiliary parachute to said fixation means adapted to act on said fixation means for stabilizing the parachutist, as he is dropping freely, and keeping him in a given position.

4. A parachute system which comprises, in combination, a main parachute proper, fixation means holding the parachutist, suspension ropes connecting said fixation means to said parachute proper, a bag holding said parachute proper and said suspension ropes, a permanent partition dividing said bag into two compartments, one for said parachute and one for said suspension ropes, said partition being provided with a passage of sufficiently restricted section to engage said ropes frictionally and exert a braking action thereon, said ropes extending through said passage, means operatively connected to said bag for opening the first compartment of said bag so as to allow said parachute to get out from said bag and to open, simultaneously pulling said ropes throughsaid passage of restricted section, to produce a continuous braking action during the entire opening pocket without opening said bag.

5. A parachute system which comprises, in combination, a main parachute proper, fixation means holding the parachutist, suspension ropes connecting said fixation means to said parachute proper, a bag holding said parachute proper and said suspension ropes, a permanent partition dividing said bag into two compartments, one for said parachute and one for said suspension ropes, said partition being provided with a passage of sufiiciently restricted section to engage said ropes frictionally and exert a braking action thereon, said ropes extending through said passage, means operatively connected to said bag for opening the first compartment of said bag so as to allow said adapted to act on said fixation means for stabilizing the parachutist, as he is dropping freely, and keeping him in a given position, and means operatively connected to said compartment opening means for detaching said auxiliary parachute from said fixation means, after the opening of the parachute proper.

6. A parachute system which comprises, in combination, a main parachute proper, fixation means holding the parachutist, suspension ropes connecting said fixation means to said parachute proper, a bag holding said parachute proper and said suspension ropes, a permanent partition dividing said bag into two compartments, one for said parachute and one for said suspension ropes, said partition being provided with a passage of sufficiently restricted section to engage said ropes frictionally and exert a braking action thereon, said ropes extending through said passage, means operatively connected to said bag for openin the first compartment of said bag so as to allow said parachute to get out from said bag and to open, simultaneously pulling said ropes through said passage of restricted section, to produce a continuous braking action during the entire opening period of the parachute, an auxiliary parachute operable before the opening of said bag, means operatively connecting said auxiliary parachute to said fixation means adapted to act on said fixation means for stabilizing the parachutist as he is dropping freely and keeping him in a given position, releasable means connecting said auxiliary parachute with said fixation means, and means operative by the bag opening means operatively connected to and acting on said releasable means so as to separate the auxiliary parachute from said fixation means, before the opening 01 the main parachute.

GEORGES DREYFUS. 

